Automobile lock



W. T. HALL.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1921.

1,428,089..- Patentedsept. 5,1922.

Patented 5, i922;

u need v n a t i me, cannon.

' nu'rorcroernra LOCK.

automobile locks and particularly to de vice. for locking the steering post againstrotation and an object of the invention is to.

provide a lock which can be easily applied on the various existing types of automobile steering post columns and positively lastened in place and which is rrauged so that all the vital parts are not exposed and ac-. cordingly not accessible to one attempting to break the look. p

- A further object is toprovidea lock of comparatively few parts which when applied will positively lock the steering post against movement and which is arranged so that it can be easily manipulatedby the driver in the locking or-unlocking operation. A further object is to provide a lock which can be manufactured at comparatively small cost, is or" good appearance and is light, compact and durable. a With the above more important and other minor objects in viewwhichwill, appear as the description proceeds the invention consists essentially i the arrangementand construction of parts hereinafter more par ticularly described and later pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a perspective View of the lock as it appears in use and in the closedposition. v v Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lock with door or gate in the open position.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the lock. 7 Y F p Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view'throupjh the lock at l wardly. i a

the drawing like charactersol': refer ence indicate corresponding parts in the several "figures. f e

1 represents the steering post of an automobile which is rotated in the usual manner by the steering wheel to operate the front wheels. This post is customarily enclosed at the upper end within a stationary column or tube In the present instance the.

an Trier; s.

-L Fig. 3 and looking in- Application "filed May 9, 1921] Serial No. 467,970.

lowerend of the column is shown secured to stationary bracket 3 permanently secured to the dash 4Q Tothe column I at tach my lockingappliance indicated generally by the reference numeral 5', pliance is now described in detail. y

6 the bodypart oi the appliance which is cast to provide a strap like back 7 forming a stationary grippingjaw 8, the gripping toes of which is somewhat less than a semicircle. the sides the casting is hollow to provide side cavities :9 and 10 and withi the cavities andadjoining the-stationary jaw 1 form two seats or shoulders 1 and'lfl, the inner sides ofthese shoulders actuallyterminating the ends of the jaw 8.

Between the extending side portions of the body piece I locate an adjustable member13 which is also specially cast to provide a'movable 14- the gripping face 15 of which is somewhatiless than a semi-circle. The morablejaw' is formed integral with top and bottom wing'slfi and 17 and side.

lugs l and 19 the lugs being adapted to engage or oppose the shoulders ll and 12, whilst'the wings make sliding contact with the topfiand; ottom walls of the cavities 9 31161.10. y

In referring to' Fig.4'it will be seen that lapped ioi are provided as. indicatedat 20, such style oi'joint preventing of one gaining access tothe interior of the -appl1 mice by a prod or similar tool. \Vhen the movable jaw and integral parts are in place the front side of theappliance presents a substantially rectangularxopen' end which is fittedwith closure gate or-door 21 pivotally mountedrfor swinging movement on'a" pin 22carried by one of the side doorto, close against, the arrangement I bein flthat when the door is closed the outer i acelies' flush with the frontv edges of the substantially rectangular entrance opening hereinbetore mentioned andthe shoulder '23 preventsonemtroin getting into the interiorc"? the apphanceat the 'doorcrack su as with a knife,prod or such like other in 1 0 1 Q 4 .tthe left handend the door is provided withyan' extension which passes to the ,95 portions of the body part A coi'itinuous l shoulder or stopQdis provided for vial,

locked. The free or swinging end of the door is fitted with a lock 26 provided with the customary key hole for the reception of the controlling key 27 and with a rotating catch plate 28 adapted in the rotation of the lock barrel to pass in behind a re taining web 29 cast integral with the body part 6. The other details of the lock are not enlarged upon as it is a commercial commodity which I can buy and apply on the door.

From the above arrangement it will be apparent that when the door is closed and the key turned to locking position the catch plate will lock behind the web 29 and lock the door positively closed.

Centrally on, the inner side the door is provided with two opposinglugs 30 and 31 which carry a pivot spindle 82, the pivot spindle having the lower. end projected be yond the lug and fitted with a finger piece 33. Between the lugs and to the spindle I secure permanently the head ofthe locking pin 3 1 which pin is adapted when idle to lie against the inner face of the door and within the cavity 9 and when in use to extend at. right angles to the door and pass through registering openings 35 and-S6 provided in the jaw let and the column 2 and into a receiving hole 37 drilled radially in the post 1. The head of the pin is arranged to engage the door and stop it in. a position at right angles to the same when it is turned by the spindle. In this way the operator has no trouble as when the door is say in the open position as shown in Fig. 2, he simply applies a finger on the finger piece 31 and rotates the spindle as far as hecan at which time the pin is stopped in a position at. right angles to the door.

In order to insure of the quick and easy entrance of the locking pin intothe openings and 36 I. have provided an, internal cross web 38 cast with. the jaw 14. and the outer face 01" this web is inclined gradually so as to guide. the pin into the openingv as the. door is swung closed. The lower wing .17 is slotted indicated at 39 to receive the spindle in the closed position of the door. The jaw 14: is held adjustably to the body part 0. by adjustingscrews 40 and 41 passing through the lugs 18 and 19 and screw threadinginto the shoulders 11 and, 12. The heads of the screws are exposedwithin the cavities 9 and 10 so that when thedoo r is opened they can be easily approached for adjusting purposes.

When a automobile is to be equipped with my invention the steering postv and column are drilled to provide the opening 36v and hole 37 to receive the locking pin. The device is then placed on the. column by first opening the door, then removingthe screws 10. and. il and afterwards withdrawing the removable jaw, When the body parthas been placed on the column with due regard to the position of the openings 36 and 37 in respect to the locking pin the inserted member '13 is securely fastened in place by tightening up the screws 40 and 4-1 which effects the gripping of the column positively between the jaws.

I wish here to state that the arrangement provides for a variation in the diameter of the column as the jaws are somewhat less than a semi-circle and the member 13 can be slid out to accommodate a slight increase in. the diameter of the column.

Once the device has been securely attached to the column by tightening up the screws as just explained the post can be easily and quickly locked against rotation by closing the door and locking it and at the same time swinging the pinso ti it will enter the opening 36 and hole 37 in the post.

During the interval that it is not desired to have the post locked one simply opens the door and turns the pin to lie against the door. He can then lock the door again with the pin inthe cavity 9.

i 1 wish to draw particular attention to the fact that I have designed thisdevice to make it what might be termed thief-proof. With the door locked it is impossible for the thief to get into the interior of the device as all exposed cracks are guarded and the door has been arranged so that it the pin22 be knocked out nothing is gained as that end of the door is still locked against movement in one directionby the extension 24- engaging the web 25 and in the other direction by the engagement of the. door with the shoulder 23. I have purposely decreased the diameter of: the extending end of the spindle 32 so that under abnormal conditions. as when rougly handled by a thief. it will break off. This however will not give the thief entrance to the interior oi the look as the lower lug 31 closes over the slot 39 and even if it were possible to withdraw the spindle access cannot be. had to the locking pin and the said pin cannot nove even although the spindle is pulled out.

I might here remark that the door is comparatively thick and itis my intention that in any position of the adjusting member 18 the wings 16 and 1'? shall over and underlie the edges of the door.

Nhatl claim as my invention is 2- 1. The combination with the steering post and the tubular column receiving the post,

' the column and post being both provided with openings which can be brought into registration in the turning of the post, of a lock comprising a body member clamped to the column and provided with an opening registering with the opening in the column andhaving the rear side open to provide a doorway, a pivoted door adapted when closed to close the doorway opening a lock for the door anda locking pin carried by the door in foldable relation therewith and adapted when extended to pass through the registering openings of the body member and the column and into the opening of the post.

2. The combination with the steering post and the tubular column receiving the post, the column and post being both provided with openings which can be brought into registration in the turning of the post, of a lock comprising a body member clamped to the column and provided with an opening registering with the opening in the column and having the rear side open to provide a doorway, a door adapted to close the doorway opening, a lock carried by the free side of the door and adapted to lock the door closed, a pivoted locking pin carried by the inner side of the door and extending towards the body member and adapted to enter the openings in the body member, column and post and exterior means "for manipulating the pin to direct it into the openings in the closing of the door.

3. In an automobile lock, the combination with the steering post and column receiving the same, said post and column being provided with openings which can be brought into registration in the turning of the post, of a twopart body member adjust-ably clamped to the column and having an opening therein registering with the opening in the column and having the rear side open to provide a door opening, a door pivotally secured to the body member and adapted to close the latter opening, a key lock carried by the swinging side of the door and adapted to lock the door closed, a locking pin pivotally secured to the inner side of the door and designed in the extended position and during the closing of the door to pass into and through the registering openings in the body part, column and post and exteriorly manipulated means for controlling the pin to direct it into the openings in the door closing operation.

4. In an automobile lock, the combination with the steering post and column receiving the same, said post and column being provided with openings which can be brought into registration in the turning of the post, of a two-part body member presenting stationary and adjustable gripping jaws engageable with the front and rear sides of the column and with the adjustable jaw having an opening therein registering with the opening in the column, said body part presenting a rear doorway opening and an interior cavity, adjusting screws housed within the cavity and adjustably attaching the jaws together, a pivot-ed door adapted in the closed position to close the doorway opening, a key controlledlock carried by the treeside of the door and adapted to lock the door closed, a spindle pivotallymounted on the inner side of the door and crossing the same, said spindle extending beyond the body part of the lock in the closed position of the door, a finger piece secured to the extending end oi the spindle and-a locking pin carried by the spindle, said locking pin being adapted to be directed into the registering openings of the jaw, column and post as the door is closing and by the manipulation of the finger piece.

5. in an automobile lock, a body member having stationary and adjustable column gripping jaws and interiorly recessed and fitted with a doorway opening and an interior ledge within the doorway opening and having one of the jaws provided with a locking opening communicating with the recess, a pivoted door adapted to close the opening and engage the ledge, a ley oper ated lock carried by the free edge of the door "for locking the same closed, a pivoted spindle carried by the inner side of the door and crossing the same and provided at the extended end with a finger gri and a )in secured to the spindle, said pin lying normally against the door in the unlocked position thereof and being adapted to be turned and manipulated by the finger piece to direct the pin into'the locking opening during the closing of the door.

6. In an automobile lock, a clamping member presenting an adjustable and a stationmy jaw and providing an interior cavity and having a locking opening passing through one of the jaws, a door pivotally attached to the clamping member and adapt ed to close the entrance to the recess, means for locking the door closed and a locking pin carried by the door in foldable relation therewith and insertable into and through the locking opening in the clamping member.

T. The combination with the steering column and the post of an automobile, said column. and post having openings therein adapted to be brought into registration in ing'member attached to the column, a foldable locking pin carried by the clamping member and adapted to enter the registermeans preventing removal of the locking pin. Signed at -Winnipeg, this 15th day of Feliii'i'iary, 1.921.

WILLIAM THOMAS HALL In the presence of- GERALD S. Roxnunerr,

K. B. WAKEFIELD.

openings of the post and column and,

the turning of the post, of a two-part clamp- 

